Chicano Rock, Mind Sculpting & More

HOLLYWOOD: If you missed the recent PBS presentation of Chicano Rock! The Sounds of East Los Angeles, don’t despair.  Check out your local PBS station to see when this extraordinary documentary will air again.  Or even better, you can purchase your own copy of the DVD that will be available January 14, 2009. Information is available on your local PBS Web site.

In short, this documentary tells the story of generations of young Mexican-Americans who proudly expressed their identity through music.  The program is filled with intimate first person storytelling, rare film and photos, and exuberant music from artists such as Lalo Guerrero, and classic bands such as Cannibal and the Headhunters, Thee Midniters of “Whittier Blvd” fame, El Chicano, Tierra, Los Lobos and the legendary Ritchie Valens (born Valenzuela), the first Mexican American rock star, best known for his rendition of La Bamba, who died along with Buddy Holly in a plane crash on his first national tour.

Chicano Rock, produced, written, directed and edited by Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Jon Wilkman, is an inspiring story of how generations of young people in America’s largest Mexican American community – caught between two cultures and not fully accepted in either – created a unique musical voice and in the process found and proudly expressed their cultural identity.

Narrated by Edward James Olmos, Chicano Rock is an entertaining and informative journey through more than half a century of America’s multicultural past.

LOS ANGELES:  Some time ago, I received information regarding something called Mind Sculpting™, which somehow got put on the back burner.  Coming across it a few days ago, I found it an intriguing concept created by a woman who was seeking solace after experiencing a deep crisis and personal loss.

Dominican Republic born, Daisy Ceara was living through the pain of a disintegrating marriage; she thought her world had finally collapsed around her, but it wasn’t over yet.

Soon after, she realized that her ex-husband had also left her in financial ruin.  Her home, her business, all the things she had worked so hard to achieve, were now gone.  She had nothing.

The experience was so painful and fraught with regret and loss that it forced Ceara to find ways to cope so that she could get herself and her life back together and move forward.  The result is an eight-step program Ceara created for herself that she calls Mind Sculpting™. 

The program uses a combination of positive singing affirmations arranged to popular music genres such as Salsa and Reggaeton as well as musical evening meditations designed to help the entire family practice focusing on positive and peaceful emotions.

Her song List, in English and Spanish, includes: I Can Do Anything; I Think, Speak and Act Positively; I Love My Life; I Found The Perfect Man; I Love My Life (Children’s Version); Si Siempre Puedo (Yes, I Can); and Todo Esta Bien (All’s Well), among others.

Mind Sculpting™ was specifically designed as an exercise to shape the mind to be focused on the positive aspects of one’s life as a way to attract love, health and prosperity.

As a young girl, Ceara thought about becoming a doctor and a singer/dancer.  When people would ask her what one thing has to do with the other, she would tell them that a doctor cures the patients and singers and dancers entertain them and make them smile.

To learn more about Daisy Ceara and her method of healing people through words and music log on to her Web site: www.mindsculpting.net

HOLLYWOOD: Mark Dec. 20 for an hour-long holiday special that will air at 9 p.m.ET/8 p.m.CT on NBC featuring the WWE Tribute to the Troops. Once again World Wrestling Entertainment^® packed up its wrestling ring to perform in front of U.S. military troops in Iraq.

Big Show^® and Chris Jerico^® were among the 20 WWE Superstars who visited troops at Camp Victory in Iraq and then boarded black hawk helicopters to visit forward operating bases close to the front lines.

Vince McMahon and the WWE have taken the reigns from Bob Hope as the only entertainers to travel to Iraq and Afghanistan to entertain the troops for the last six consecutive holiday seasons.  It was that commitment to entertaining the troops that moved President George W. Bush to tape a special message for the holiday special.

The holiday special has aired on UPN and most recently USA Network.  The move to NBC marks a return to network television for the WWE’s most important show of the year.  WWE Tribute to the Troops, now in its sixth year, has become a holiday tradition on television along with Frosty, Rudolph, It’s a Wonderful Life and A Christmas Story.

NEXT POST:  Probably after Christmas and before the New Year (I think).  Happy Holidays and Stay tuned.